


Of Fighting and Family

by CaptainCoughdrop



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Gen, a load of OCS - Freeform, but like, but you can basically see the point i lost inspiration, heavy use of pre-independence Proper English Names for colonies, i don't make the rules, keep in mind hong kong is like 13 in this, mainly wrote this to explain why Hong Kong was back with Arthur for the rest of the war, or part of the british empire anyway, then got distracted by british empire dynamics, they have to be there for historical accuracy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 20:46:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15566094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainCoughdrop/pseuds/CaptainCoughdrop
Summary: This war won't last too much longer, had been put by Yao, and although it was written rather than spoken, Leon could feel the certainty his brother felt. I'll see you soon.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi.  
> I put in the last one something about Iceland and Hong Kong meeting when they were at Arthur's house during WW2. I posted that, then remembered that Hong Kong was staying with Japan until 1943.  
> Whoops. Better fix that plot hole.  
> Then I got interested in the dynamics of the other young nations of the British Empire at the time. There are probably more than I included, but to be honest, I figured seventeen young teenagers in a house is enough.  
> So yeah. For the record, in this fic Hong Kong is physically and mentally about 13 or 14, and chronologically about 115 years old. He also refers to himself as Leon. I was going to put why in the end notes, but it's quite long, so I've put it as a separate chapter.

_July, 1943_

It was an early morning in the jungles of Assam, and despite all that was going wrong in the world, it was shaping up to be a beautiful day. The sky was clear blue, with just a few fluffy white clouds scattered across it; the heat was intense, but not to bad at this point in the day. The city was bustling, and the murky waters of the Brahmaputra swirled past sluggishly. It was peaceful, and calm, and -

"No!" A voice rang out amongst the shuttered buildings, frightening a family of macaques from a nearby closed restaurant. "Absolutely not!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Yao snapped, dragging Leon along through the streets. The all-too-skinny teenager attempted to tug his arm free to no avail; Yao was far too strong, even in these horrifying days. "You're far too young."

Leon's nostrils flared, incensed, and he ground his teeth. He'd been hearing this same argument, again and again, like a broken record, since they'd arrived in Busan. Yong Soo had agreed strongly with Yao, but after they'd left him in Korea, Leon had hoped that - against both him and Mei Cheng and without any backup - Yao would give in. This was, unfortunately, not the case, and they'd been having practically one circular conversation for the entire exhausting journey south-west from where Yong Soo had split from them in Dandong.

As such, Leon didn't bother to argue that he wasn't too young. Instead, he went with a different tactic.

"It's just as dangerous in Europe as Asia right now, you know," he pointed out, tripping over his own feet as Yao pulled him along at a fast pace, "I mean, you've heard what the Nazis are doing-"

"Enough."

Leon gritted his teeth. "How would you feel if the boat sank and we both drowned, far from home without any family-"

" _Enough_."

The army barracks came back into view. Leon's heart began to race, and he became desperate. He had to get to Hong Kong - why didn't Yao get that? His people were suffering, _starving_ , he couldn't just abandon them to save his own skin.

Finally, he was desperate enough to use the one argument that both he and Mei Cheng had silently agreed not to use. The argument that he _knew_ would hurt Yao, would hurt his brother, the argument that was illogical and false, something he was well aware of. But he was also frantic and angry - he _had_ to get home, he _had_ to help his people, and Yao wasn't letting him.

"I suppose we weren't what you hoped, huh?" He demanded, grabbing Yao's arm and digging his nails in to make sure he had the older man's attention. "I mean, you always used to say you wanted us back from Arthur and Abel, but I guess we got a bit annoying after a while, huh? I guess you just changed your mind about wanting us-"

"ENOUGH, XIAO CHUN!"

Leon's mouth snapped shut. Yao had stopped, and was glaring at him with burning fire in his golden eyes. His mouth was pulled tight, and he glared at Leon like he never had before ever. Leon shrank back slightly. He'd known that was a low argument. His stomach shrivelled. He wanted to say sorry, but Yao had already begun yanking him along again, and he had to focus all of his attention on not tripping over.

"Yao!"

" _Wèile tā mā de yuángù_ , what could they want now?" Snapped Yao to himself as they rounded a corner of the barracks. A familiar man was stood there, clad in the uniform of the Indian Army, a pack slung over his back and a frown on his face as he held onto the arms of two other familiar people. Yao's face softened. "Harish."

"Yao," the personification of India smiled tiredly, before frowning at Robert as he made a bid for freedom. "It's good to see you."

Harish looked tired, but Harish often looked tired. Being part of the British Empire was no walk in the park, after all. He had a bandage wrapped around his upper arm, and a fresh scar over the bridge of his nose, but he looked okay. Happy to be home, Leon supposed. He always had looked happier after coming home from the visits to his home that Arthur - and his government - had allowed him. He'd always be particularly smiley and jovial, more ready to dance to whatever record he'd brought back, and - somewhat unfortunately for the members of the household with more delicate tastes - make a curry so searing it had once made Fingal drink three whole gallons of milk in one sitting.

Robert scowled and kicked up some dust mutinously, but didn't bother to try escaping again. Leon imagined that Robert was being made to go with him and Mei Cheng, but he had to admit - he was impressed that the other nation had even got over here in the first place. Leon wouldn't have been in Kowloon if not for the fact that Arthur hadn't known the Japanese were going to attack, and had therefore been somewhat been more lenient towards his colony wanting to accompany him to Hong Kong for a visit to the provincial governor. He had never expected... But Leon didn't like to think about that.

Anyway, he'd have to ask Robert exactly how he'd managed to get all the way from Arthur's big house in London - or probably his country house up in the North York Moors to get away from the bombing - to Bangladesh. Very impressive.

"Thank you for watching her," Yao was saying to Harish, looking sternly at the other person Harish had a grip of - Mei Cheng, her long brown hair falling over her face, huffing angrily, and looking mutinous. Her dress was faded, and still ripped from the close call they'd had with some Japanese officers back in Shanghai. "I'm sorry, I had to go after this one." He jerked Leon forward irritably.

"Hey, Harish," Leon muttered. Harish nodded to him, but didn't take his eyes off of Yao, a strange emotion in them as he took in Xiao Chun's brother's sunken cheeks, the bags under his eyes, and the still-healing slash over his cheek. He seemed about to say something when another shout sounded.

"Leon! Robert!" Arthur came striding into view, looking very out of place with his milky-white skin and scruffy blonde hair, with a very foreboding expression on his face.

This, for the record, didn't bother Leon in the slightest, because Arthur spent half of his life looking very foreboding. Anger was, after all, Arthur's base state of being. Plus, Leon was well aware that Arthur did care a lot about them, in his own strange way. Besides, it had been two long, frightening years since he'd been dragged away from Arthur in Kowloon, and he'd missed the man who'd practically raised him.

"Sorry it took me so long," said Arthur contritely, his eyes darting over Robert and Leon in quick succession, taking in their rather dirty and tattered appearances, "Our convoy got bogged down a little way out of Shillong."

"That's fine," said Harish, shifting his grip on Robert as though he suddenly just wanted to pull Robert closer - like he wasn't sure he really wanted to send his brother away after all. "How quickly will you be able to get back to England?"

"Weather and current affairs permitting, we should be back in a few weeks," said Arthur, running thin fingers over his sunburnt neck and pulling a face, "It's a safe passage - or as safe as a passage can be these days, anyway. They'll be fine."

"They'd better," said Yao threateningly, addressing Arthur for the first time in accented English. Leon gelt another stab of guilt. Arthur grimaced somewhat.

"I'll make sure of it," he said, looking somewhat awkward but sincere all the same. Leon felt a rush of fondness - for all that his caretaker could be a spiky git, and for all that the British were a pretty merciless bunch as a whole, Arthur himself meant well, especially towards the younger colonies he'd cared for since they were young. "I've lost count of the amount of times Rosalind's tried to run away so far. Thank the Lord, she's promised to stop trying now."

Harish pulled a face at his little sister's proper English name, like he had when he'd heard Robert called Robert and like Yao had when Leon had been called Leon, but also looked relieved to hear that the personification of the PAKSTAN regions was still safe in England. Leon agreed with him - Rosie was the second youngest in the family. She really _was_ too little to be part of an armed conflict. Not that Leon thought her surrender would last - Rosie was a stubborn and fiery kid, he had no doubt that she'd been planning her next great break for freedom ever since she was given a stern talking to and been told to act 'like a lady'.

"Well," said Arthur after a moment of increasingly uncomfortable silence, "My people want me back in Calcutta soon, so we'd best be off."

Yao pursed his lips, his eyes darting between Mei Cheng and Leon, before he relented.

"Be good," he ordered in Mandarin, finally releasing Leon and pushing him gently towards Arthur. He nodded to Mei Cheng. "Both of you. And stay safe."

" _Yē khuba āpanāra jan'ya yāẏa_ ," Harish said to Robert, who swallowed and nodded, before giving his elder brother and mentor a quick hug. Leon glanced back, dithering for a moment, before stepping awkwardly towards Yao and raising his arms, hoping the older man would get the message and actually initiate the physical contact. Yao blinked in surprise, but then his face softened, and he pulled Leon in close. A moment later, Mei Cheng had joined them, pressing her face against Yao's chest.

"You watch each other for me," Yao murmured. "I'll try to write, but I don't know if it will get through or not. Don't do anything stupid."

Arthur coughed, proving that he hadn't improved on his tact since Leon had last seen him. Yao sniffed, muttered something about 'opium bastard' and pulled back, wiping his face with his sleeve .

"Come along then," said Arthur in a forced voice. Like he was trying his best to sound jovial and plough through his social discomfort. "Leon, Robert, um - I'm sorry, young lady, I don't know your name-"

Mei Cheng glanced at Leon, before bowing to Arthur. "It's Wang Mei Cheng, Mr England."

"Nice to meet you - anyway, we need to get going."

Resigned to his fate, Leon climbed into the army truck, squeezing between Mei Cheng and Robert. With Arthur, Harish _and_ Yao there to stop them, there was no way in hell he'd get back to Hong Kong. Besides, no doubt Arthur would assign some soldiers to keep a constant eye on them once they reached Calcutta.

Arthur got into the front seat beside an army driver, before turning and offering what he probably meant to be a soothing smile but instead came off rather grim.

"Be good!" Called Harish as the truck began to move off, "Take care of each other!"

"And we'll see you soon!" Added Yao, waving. Leon and the others craned their necks back, and he didn't take his eyes off of Yao until they rounded the corner and he and Harish were lost to the streets of Dibrugarh.

 

 

_10th December 1943_

"Up! _Sinne Fianna Fáil, atá faoi gheall ag Éirinn_... Rise and shine, _páistí_!" There came the thunderous clanging of Tadgh slamming two pans together sounded from the hall. Leon groaned and covered his head with his pillow. " _Buíon dár slua thar toinn do ráinig chugainn_... Get up!"

Tadgh Berach ó Murchadha (Kirkland up until recently), was the personification of Ireland, who - although he hadn't lived with Arthur since 1914 - had agreed to come over and watch the kids whilst the others were off fighting, since Ireland was neutral and relatively peaceful for the time being, and he had nothing else on. According to him, he was only there because of Northern Ireland, but Leon knew he cared about the rest of them too. Even Arthur, in the strange way the UK brothers worked as a family. On the down side, he was a great believer in waking up early, and made sure to wake the entire house up at seven am at the latest every day, no matter the occasion, by walking up and down outside the bedrooms, banging pots and pans together, bellowing at the top of his lungs, perhaps singing The Soldier's Song _as Gaeilge_ , as he was that morning.

The sounds faded somewhat as he went upstairs to wake up the ones living on the second floor, but Leon didn't bother to feel particularly relieved - Tadgh would be back, and if you didn't get out of bed willingly and quickly, he was happy to drag you.

It was a cold wet day - what a shocker - and Leon shivered as he got dressed. It still felt strange to be wearing the neat shirts and pressed trousers and woolly jumpers that came with living at Arthur's house after constantly wearing the looser yukatas back in Japan, or perhaps a full kimono and hakama if Kiku was in one of his moods and bullied them into it (something that had never worked on Yong Soo, a fact that Leon had always deeply admired, even though Yao had made him comply to keep him safe). The weather felt even colder than usual after travelling through the balmy tropical summer of southern China and Assam for almost five months. Plus, of course... Pulling off his pyjama top, Leon ran his fingers over his ribs, painfully close to the surface even though he ate just as well as any of the others in the house. His people were still suffering,  _he_ was still suffering, and he was currently in a large house in the north of England, with a comfortable bed and food. Yao and Yong Soo were both fighting with rebels.

Thinking of Yao and Yong Soo - who had yet to get a letter through to him - made Leon's chest tighten with nerves, so he quickly shook himself, and went to the little sink in his and Robert's room to splash his face with cold water from the little sink. The personification of Bangladesh, Robert Oswin Kirkland, groaned - he wasn't quite as good at waking up as Leon was - but slowly clawed his way out from beneath the colourful eiderdown to squint out the window. Leon pulled his shirt on quickly, and then his jumper.

"He's mad," Robert moaned, hissing dramatically as his bare feet hit the cold wooden floor, "I swear, I know Arthur could be bad, but this..."

Leon grunted, rubbing his toothbrush onto the dentifrice before brushing his teeth with the resulting froth. Outside the room, Tadgh came marching back, still smashing pans together and singing at the top of his lungs.

"' _S an bíobha i raon na bpiléar agaibh_... Are you awake yet? _Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann_... Lazy little shits."

Apparently deciding that Leon and Robert had been allowed their privacy for long enough, he kicked open the door, still yelling. Robert yelped and quickly pulled up his trousers, glaring at Tadgh.

"Morning, Leo," he said cheerfully, his eyes shining with mirth as he turned to Robert, "Don't worry, Bobby, I wasn't looking."

Robert glared at him as a third person ran in. Rosalind, the personification of Pakstan, grinned widely at them. Her thick brown hair held back in two plaits. She was dressed like the proper English schoolgirl she'd never be - long floral skirt that reached her knees, a pretty white shirt, and a v-neck grey jumper. Her feet were clad in white socks and patent black shoes, and her golden-brown eyes shone with mischief. Leon was struck once more with how unlike her brothers she looked, especially Bobby, who was far darker, with shiny black hair and almost black eyes (a bit like Japan's, except with actual life and kindness behind them). At least Harish and Pandara actually had some features that made them look somewhat alike.

"Did you see Bobby in his pants?" Rosie asked, beaming as though this was the funniest joke in the world.

"No," grumbled Robert. "Now get lost."

Rosalind grinned once more, and whirled out of the room to go and cause some mischief, her shoes clacking against the floorboards (Leon briefly imagined what Yao and Yong Soo would say about wearing shoes inside the house - Mei Cheng was still recovering from the horror of the discovery).

Leon himself still wasn't sure whether he was glad or disturbed by how well he slotted back into life at Arthur's manor house in Yorkshire so instantly after all that had happened - and was happening. Everything was exactly the same (it had only been around two years, he supposed) except for the people. The same paintings, the same furniture, the same musty smell in the basement, the same boggy ground and green hills overshadowed by the same solid blanket of ominous white clouds. The only things that had changed were the neat little stack of ration books sat on the table by the front door, and the fact that along with the vegetable plot Leon could dimly remember planting in 1940 there were now also two pigs and an evil-tempered nanny goat named Georgina in the garden.

But the house was much quieter. Whereas Leon could distinctly remember the house before the war being a hub of energy and barely-suppressed chaos, forever on the edge of all out mutiny, barely controlled by Arthur and whichever of the other adults happened to be on his side that day, now it was creepily calm, the narrow hallways cavernous and eerie in their bareness.

Not that it _was_ very empty, of course - it was still home to eighteen people - but since Leon was used to every room being packed to bursting, it was all relative. All of the adult nations were gone for the most part - with occasional visits back to the house for those fighting in Europe - and the governments of some of the younger nations had even gone so far as to bring their personifications back home, if their land was in a less dangerous areas, just in case the Nazis invaded England. However, many of the 'kids' were still in the house alongside Leon, Robert and Mei Cheng.

Speaking of Mei Cheng, she was sat down in the kitchen alongside Cornelius de Vries, the personification of British Guiana. Apparently the two had known each other back when they were both Dutch colonies, and Leon was glad Mei Cheng had someone she knew over here, so far away from what she was used to. She and Cornelius made an odd pair; Mei Cheng, petite, friendly, polite but down to fight, and Cornelius - dark, with shiny black hair that he always made sure to slick back with huge amounts of Brylcreem, tall and heavily built, peaceful but sometimes aloof.

They were sat down in the kitchen, chattering in rapid Dutch, occasionally breaking out into giggles (Mei Cheng) or a small smile (Cornelius). Leon's... sister, he supposed, even if he had only really known her for two years, looked up with a smile when he came in, before returning to talking to Cornelius, who bobbed his head in his usual greeting.

"G'day Bobby, g'day Leo!" Yelled someone else - Stephen George Kirkland, the personification of Australia, was bouncing in his chair, smiling his usual wide smile. His skin was tan despite the grim English weather, and his brown hair was scruffy, his fingers drumming against the table, and his bright green eyes constantly darting towards the window, as if he couldn't imagine anything better than running wild in the cold and windy Yorkshire moorland. His younger brother, William Horatio Kirkland, the personification of New Zealand, looked decidedly less enthusiastic - doubtless Stevie would drag Billy out with him on whatever adventure he was planning for that day, and the smaller, paler kiwi, with his wavy dark blonde-brown hair and almost identical green eyes, wasn't as keen on trooping through muddy countryside in mid-winter.

"Sit," ordered Tadgh, walking into the kitchen with Shay in his arms. Shay, or Seamus Rory Kirkland-Murphy (Séamus Ruadhrí ó Murchadha if you asked Tadgh) the personification of Northern Ireland, stared owlishly around at all of them. His hair, unlike Tadgh's bright ginger curls, was red and wavy, but he was equally as pale and freckly as his brother, except with hazel eyes. He was just a toddler, having been born sometime around 1921, but a weird and moody kid in Leon's opinion. Not _bad_ , as such, just weird. "The Frog's lasses are making us breakfast."

By the stove, the personifications of Mauritius and Seychelles, Josephine Maud and Michelle Suzanne Bonnefoy turned to stick their tongues out at Tadgh, but there was no real heat behind it. They knew that he didn't really mean it. They were both really pretty. Fifi, the elder, had curly brown hair that was held back in a large ponytail, and had slightly darker skin than her sister. She liked to wear blood red lipstick and mascara, and she always looked impeccable with her beautiful dresses. Before the war and rationing started, she used to go out in London and buy everyone clothes, before making them have fashion shows in the London living room. Shelly, on the other hand, didn't wear makeup so much and was less into dressing up, but she was still really pretty. Her hair was brown and straight, and she kept it really long down to her waist, usually tied back with two big red ribbons that Francis had given her.

Since Tadgh could only cook potatoes (sort of), Shelly and Fifi did a lot of the cooking since they both enjoyed it and were very good at it. The others did their bit too, of course, but today was a porridge day, and since many of the more British colonies struggled enough on the toast and marmalade days, they were often in charge. No one wanted to waste precious rations on burnt porridge.

"I bagsy not milking Georgina," shouted Bonnie Berenice Kirkland as Robert and Leon sat down at the table. She was the personification of the Cayman Islands, dark-skinned, with black hair in a thick plait at the back of her head and clever hazel eyes. She gave Leo a shark's grin as he looked to her.

"Well I'm not going to do it," said Beatrix Nicole Kirkland, the personification of Basutoland and resident bookworm. Since she was a person who favoured practicality, her tightly-curled black hair was shaved short, and she wore boy's clothes - a white shirt, bottle-green woollen jumper and grey trousers. She wasn't one to waste words, and spent most of her time alone in the library, reading through Arthur's collection of boring tomes.

"Pass," mumbled Chance, officially Chauncey Keegan Kirkland the personification of Bermuda, slumped over the table with his head in the arms, his mass of curly brown hair spilling over the table and hiding his coffee-coloured skin and sea green eyes. He was the worst for waking up in the morning.

"Well," said Bonnie, putting on a very artificial sigh, "I suppose I'd be willing to do it... for the right price." "Cheeky little bugger," laughed Tadgh from his place at the head of the table.

"I don't mind doing it," said Kostas Karpusi, smiling peaceably. He was the personification of Cyprus and was very calm. His brown hair was in its usual - and rather odd, Leon had always thought - style, flopping down around his head but kept manageably short, except for the one lock on his left side that was long enough to reach his chin, and tranquil green eyes. Like Stevie, his skin was tanned despite the English weather. The hair was a particular grievance to Fifi, who was constantly offering to take him to a barber, or leaving strategic men's hair-care adverts around the house, but so far it hadn't worked.

"Are you sure?" Asked Penny, "Because I don't mind, she's so sweet..."

But even the ever optimistic Penelope Aileen Kirkland, personification of the Falkland Islands, who was remarkable for always seeing the best in everyone and everything, looked rather reluctant. Georgina really was a dreadful animal. Penny was quite short, and somewhat dumpy, with thick hair that she'd attempted to have curled like the movie stars, but had instead fallen rather limply into loose golden waves. Her eyes were a gentle chocolate brown, and she had the friendliest smile on earth. There was a reason even Arthur could never get properly angry with her.

"Breakfast!" Sang Shelly, placing a bowl of porridge before Leon with a flourish. It was very different to the breakfast of rice and miso he'd eaten daily not even a year earlier, but he somehow preferred the dull, familiar porridge. "Bon appétit!"

"Ye are angels," said Tadgh, trying to coax Shay into taking a bite of his breakfast, "Thanks, girls."

"Don't like porridge," chuntered the toddler.

"That's ' _ní maith liom leite_ '," chimed in Tadgh cheerfully, before coming over all Arthur-ish and adding, "Don't say things like that, you should be grateful Shelly and Fifi were kind enough to cook for us."

Leon was glad that Tadgh was there. For all that he loved Arthur, Tadgh was probably the best of the UK brothers to be caring for them, since he was a generally cheerful guy, combining Fingal's ability to annoy Arthur, Dafydd's emotional understanding and empathy, and Arthur's... well, he wasn't much like Arthur. Maybe his short height. Who knew? With his mop of curly ginger hair, milky pale skin, pale blue eyes and a face of freckles, he certainly didn't look much like Arthur, except for the quintessential British (or not, in Tadgh's case) eyebrows.

There was a clattering of someone thundering down the stairs, and Nelly burst into the kitchen, almost tripping over a chair in her haste to reach the table. "Food!" She cheered, before digging in. Eleanor Amity Kirkland, the personification of British Honduras, was a tornado of chaos and disorganisation. She had been raised by pirates before being found by Arthur, and it showed in her attitude. Her black hair was always tied into little plaits all over her head, all secured by ribbons, and she had dark skin and bright grey eyes that were full of demonic energy. Arthur was constantly saying how relieved he was that Nelly and Rosie weren't the same age. Leon definitely agreed.

Breakfast was eaten in relative silence, as they all gulped down the porridge that never tasted this good when any of the non-Francophones made it.

"What are ye all up to today, so?" Asked Tadgh, whilst he was washing up the bowls in the big sink by the window, craning his neck to watch them over his shoulder.

"Going exploring!" Said Stevie, who always seemed to speak at a volume slightly above everyone else, "Billy and Chance are coming too!" William's shoulders slumped, and Chance looked up in horror. It was exhausting to be the chosen recipient of Steven's boundless enthusiasm for the day.

"Well, be careful," said Tadgh. If Arthur had been here, he would have lectured the trio for approximately five thousand years about being careful in the countryside, as though they hadn't visited this exact same patch of England every summer, some of them for over three centuries.

Thinking of Arthur made Leon's chest tighten again. Arthur may have been a grouchy old git for a lot of the time, and he may have had an infuriating habit of fussing and mother hen-ing, but he was the man who had raised Leon, in the end. Sure, he may be more closely related to Yao and Yong Soo and Bi Seng and even - Leon shuddered - _Japan_ , but the only one from Asia who he'd ever become close to in any sense of the word was Renato, the personification of Macau, who lived with João in Portugal, although he was old enough now to visit his home alone a lot of the time. They were brothers, and Renato, at least, understood how he felt. For instance, Yao still insisted that Renato's real name was Wang Jia Long, just as he persisted in calling Leon 'Xiao Chun'. Leon could understand that Yao felt they were brothers, and Leon really wished he could honestly return the feelings, and they were brothers, but... Don't get him wrong, he did love Yao in a strange way. Maybe it was the remnants of the few years he'd spent under the elder's care when he first came into being. Maybe it was a natural part of being family. Maybe it was the way Yao had protected them all so passionately when they'd been in Tokyo.

He felt the same way about all of them. Im Yong Soo was fantastic, treating him as though they'd always known each other when he'd first stepped into Japan's house in Tokyo in 1942. Sure, he was incredibly annoying at times, but he never excluded Leon because he'd been raised as a foreign colony. Even the fact that, whilst Yao had called him by the Mandarin version of his name, Im Yong Soo had gone to the length of finding out the Cantonese way of saying it, just to try and cheer him up. The same way he'd called Mei Cheng 'Bi Seng'. The same way he'd called Japan a revolving collection of swear words. Leon had admired that too. Whilst the personification of Japan had never actually threatened Leon personally - said more than five words in a row to him, actually - he'd still been witness to the bastard's worse moods (he was in a constantly pissy mood, actually, interspersed by creepy attempts at brotherliness and really towering tempers), and he had great respect for Im Yong Soo's willingness to push the Japanese man's buttons at all times.

But Leon didn't like thinking of _him_. He and his people were a curse on Asia.

Leon was brought out of his increasingly dark thoughts by a truly terrifying proposal.

"I'm taking Rosie out," said Nelly, smiling sweetly, and a cold shiver of dread trickled down Leon's spine at the idea of Nelly and Rosie alone and terrorising the population of the nearby village of Kettleness. Even Tadgh, who was usually very easy going when it came to the movements of the kids, stopped what he was doing and turned to gaze at Nelly and Rosie in deep suspicion.

"To do what?" He asked slowly.

"We're just going for a walk," beamed Nelly, folding her hands on her lap and giving Tadgh her bright smile of pure innocence that was, as everyone who knew were was aware, made entirely of lies and deception.

Tadgh eyed the two girls warily, and Leon could see an internal battle taking place: on one hand, he didn't want the full fury of the local town populace falling on his shoulders; on the other hand, it would really annoy Arthur when he found out whatever devious plot Nelly and Rosie had in mind.

"It's okay," Robert said suddenly, saving Tadgh from this impossible decision. "I'll go and keep an eye on them. Anyone?"

There was a beat of silence, as it seemed no one seemed keen on taking on the job of keeping an eye of both Nelly and Rosie for a day. After a moment, however, someone volunteered.

"I'll come," said Penny, smiling dotingly at the two girls, even though Nelly was over a century older than both her and Robert. "I like going for walks."

"I'm showing Mei the big Christmas tree up in Middlesbrough," said Cornelius, showing a truly cold-blooded indifference to the fates of those living in Kettleness who would soon be visited upon by the chaos that were Nelly and Rosie together.

"Oh! Shelly, Bonnie and I are off to Middlesbrough too!" Said Fifi, "I'll drive us, if you would like."

"Oh, no," smiled Mei Cheng in her accented English, who had really hit it off with Fifi and Shelly, "Cornelius has a seaside walk he wants to show me."

Bonnie 'oohed' under her breath and Tadgh flicked the back of her head warningly, smirking in amusement as Cornelius shuffled his feet and suddenly couldn't seem to look in Mei Cheng's direction.

"Just be careful. You know what to do if there's an air raid."

"We know." Bonnie rolled her eyes. It was funny, Leon thought, how blase they had all got about the prospect of being bombed.

"Reading." Was Bea's reply, and she stood, pecked Tadgh on the cheek, gave a small smile to the rest of the room, and left for the library.

"I'd better go and see to Georgina," said Kostas with a good-natured smile, "Then I might visit the cinema, see what's on."

"I think they're playing Petticoat Larceny this afternoon," said Michelle enthusiastically, leaning forward on the table, "We could meet up then!"

"You just like that Walter Reed," teased Fifi, standing to adjust her jacket. Shelly blushed and covered her face, embarrassed. Tadgh watched them go with a small smile, jigging Shay on his hip.

"And we," he said, "Are off down to Whitby to see the Christmas carols, right, Shay?"

"Tá," said Shay, and Tadgh's whole face lit up with pride and delight, and he pulled on his hat before leaving the kitchen.

This, of course, left Leon alone, except for just one other person. The personification of Iceland, Emil Bondevik, had been sat silently during the whole conversation. That was pretty much the standard for him - shy and awkward, generally steering clear of the other nations in the house. He wasn't a British colony - like Mei Cheng, he was just staying over because his family couldn't take care of him what with the war. He was technically a Danish colony, or something like that. Honestly, Leon didn't know much about him.

( _"This is Emil," Arthur had told him on the first day they'd got back, the day before he left again to join his boys fighting in Europe, "He's staying with us for a while."_

_"_ _Nice to meet you," said Leon automatically, nodding to the white haired boy in front of him, entirely unsure of who this person was. Apparently Arthur could tell, because he sighed._

_"Emil Bondevik?" He asked exasperatedly, "Iceland? You have met each other before, you know."_

_Leon had been deeply relieved to see his own bewildered 'we have?' expression mirrored perfectly on Emil's paler face_.)

Leon could vaguely remember his brother, a nation with similar violet eyes and pale skin but darker blond hair visiting Arthur on several occasions. Norway, Arthur had told him - Lukas Bondevik. He wouldn't have been anything special, if not for two defining factors: one, he seemed to be a rare person who was an actual friend of Arthur's; and two, he'd once done a really neat magic trick with a pack of cards that had impressed Leon very much when he'd been Rosalind's age, and actually still impressed him now.

Tadgh, on the other hand, had apparently known Emil's other brother, Mathias Kohler the personification of Denmark, back in the day. Seeing as Tadgh was one of the older generation of European nations (" _I don't know - around 2,300_?" had been Tadgh's vague response back when Leon had asked him in the 1890s), 'back in the day' could refer to any point from the fall of the Roman empire to the time of the Tudors, so this didn't exactly clear things up.

Anyway, from what Leon had heard from reading the newspaper and listening to the radio, both Denmark and Norway had been invaded by the Germans. From listening to a hushed conversation between Tadgh and Taffy when he'd been back home on leave for a few days, he'd discovered that whilst Mathias was living at the German Brothers' house, Lukas was still running free with his rebels, although who knew how long that would last?

Leon felt a bit sorry for Emil, being split apart from his family. At least Mei Cheng had known him and Cornelius. Emil didn't know anybody.

"You want to play Monopoly or something?" Emil blinked up at him, before shrugging awkwardly. He didn't look overly keen on the idea, but also didn't look as though he knew how to refuse.

"Alright."

It was funny how it just took three games of Monopoly, Leon being hit in the face with a small metal warship, and Emil getting a glass of water dumped over his head for two perfect strangers to become firm friends.

_8th May 1945_

The crowd in Whitehall really was something to behold.

Leon stood on his tiptoes, gazing up at the Prime Minister as he announced the end of war in Europe. Beside him, Emil - older but still tragically short - also attempted to see over the heads of the hundreds who had turned out to witness the announcement - the Nazis were finished. Germany had lost. Peace in our time!

But not really, Leon thought. Japan was still making itself - and himself - an unholy terror in Asia. He knew the Allies were helping to push them back, but the war was far from finished, although the telegram from Alfred giving news of the invasion of Okinawa back in April had lifted his spirits. As had the two letters, both tucked into his pocket and dog-eared with how often he'd read them and reread them, from Yao and Yong Soo, letting him know they were fine.

 _Bastard will be feeling the heat now_! Yong Soo had gleefully stated in his more recent letter.

 _This war won't last too much longer_ , had been put by Yao, and although it was written rather than spoken, Leon could feel the certainty his brother felt. _I'll see you soon_.

"Leon! Emil!" Robert ran over, Rosalind sat up on his shoulders. He was smiling. Leon wondered if it was as bittersweet for them as it was for them - and then felt stupid. Of course it was. Harish and Pandara were still out there, pretty much uncontactable. "Look who Arthur's got with him!"

Leon looked around and saw Arthur winding through the crowds toward them, accompanied by two smiling women. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and not even because of the unfamiliar wide smile on Arthur's face.

"Are we supposed to recognised them?" Asked Emil softly, looking rather nervous. Oh, Leon recognised them, all right. He was just surprised to see them here. Arthur caught him looking and winked, bringing a finger up to his lips. The older of the two women giggled.

"I'm just escorting Lillibet and Peggy to the edge of the square!" Arthur shouted above the crowd, "I'll catch up with you later!"

"Alright!" Replied Leon, also raising his voice to be heard above the crowd, "We'll see you then!"

"Hello!" Yelled Rosalind, waving mischievously; "I hope you have fun, yo-"

Robert reached up and managed to clap a hand across her mouth. Arthur rolled his eyes despairingly, but didn't stop grinning as he led the two women away. Leon laughed.

"Seriously, Leo," grumbled Emil into his ear, "Who were they?"

"I'll explain later," Leon grinned.

It wasn't perfect, so far from perfect - his own people were still suffering under the reign of Japan, as was so much of the rest of Asia. Leon himself was stick-thin and still coughed up blood on the worst days. But the nightmare was nearly over. This was the beginning of the end for Japan and his stupid empire.


	2. names explanation for those interested

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I gave the younger colonies English names. If you're wondering a) why, b) what they mean, c) approximately how old I headcanon them to be, and d) what they're changed to in later life, then read on!

(brace yourself, this might be long, you don't have to read it all lol I just wanted to put it in)

In this I used English names for all the younger colonies, but not for Harish or Ireland. This is because they were both already adult by the time they were invaded. On the other hand, the younger nations kidn of came about and were immediately snapped up by the British Empire, and therefore Arthur named them. Once they became independent, they changed them for names in their own languages.

Hong Kong: He came into being in about 1830, and also be spent maybe the first eleven years with Yao, he was still a really small kid when Arthur took him about a decade or so later - maybe about physically a toddler. His full British name is Leon Alexander, which mean 'lion' and 'defender of men'. He refers to himself as Leon, because by this point he has had relatively little contact with the rest of Asia and has been raised in Britain. On the other hand, the others still think of him as his original name Wang Xiao Chun. After being returned to China, Leon changed his name to the Cantonese pronunciation of Xiao Chun, Siu Chun ('small spring'), and gave himself the surname Ho ('carry') in order to give himself his own identity. However, Yao still calls him Wang Xiao Chun.

Northern Ireland: Came into being with the partition of Ireland. About 22 years old in 1943, so still really young. Seamus Rory is just the Anglicised version of Séamus Ruadhrí, which mean 'supplanter' and 'red king'. Murphy is the English version of ó Murchadha, which means 'sea battler'. In later years, to make himself distinct from both Eire and England, he took the surname Killough, which means 'church on the lake'.

Pakistan: Originally her land and Bangladesh were personified by India. 'Rosalind Mary' means 'beautiful rose' and 'rebellious'. She changed her name to Ayesha Akhtar pretty much immediately after becoming independent, which mean 'she who lives' and 'star'. She came into being in 1884, so was 59 in 1945, not long after the creation of the Central National Muhammadan Association.

New Zealand: came into being about 1841, so was about 102 in 1943. His name William Horatio means ‘desire protection’ and ‘hour, time, season’. Although he kept his first names, he later changed his surname to Seymour; ‘sea, lake’. I don't see him as having a Māori name, since I headcanon Māori - like Native America and Australian Aboriginal People - being their own personification.

Lesotho: the old name for Lesotho was Basutoland. She came into being about 1818, just before the area was unified under King Moshoeshoe I. When she was about 50 (maybe physically six or seven) she became a part of the British Empire in 1968. Her native name, which she returns to after becoming independent, is Maletsatsi. (I haven't decided on a surname.) Her English name, Beatrix Nicole, means 'voyager traveller' and 'victory of the people'.

Australia: I seriously debated him being an adult or at least an older teenager, but he's just too young - came into being in 1772 so was 125 in 1943. Like New Zealand his kept his first names - Stephen George ('crown' and 'earthworker'), but gave himself the surname Neville or 'new town'.

Falkland Islands: 179 in 1943. She keeps her full name and doesn't change her surname. Her name's Penelope Aileen ('a type of duck' and 'torch').

Bangladesh: Came into being in around 1761, so is around 184 in 1943. His English name is Robert Oswin ('bright fame' and 'god friend'), but he changes it to Samir 'Kalyan' Miraz ('wind', 'beautiful' and 'prince')after gaining independence.

Seychelles: Arthur let her and Mauritius keep their French names. They keep them to the present day (this might change - I'll be honest I haven't thought much about the names of Seychelles and Mauritius just yet). Her name - Michelle Suzanne - means 'who is like god' and 'lily'. After gaining independence she changed her surname to Lyon, or 'lion'. She came into being around 1754.

Cayman Islands: Came into being around 1665. She keeps her first and middle names until the present day. Bonnie Berenice means 'pretty' and 'bringing victory'. She later changes her surname to Cushing in honour of the man the Cayman Islands are supposedly named after, Cayman Cushing.

Belize: Once known as British Honduras. Since Eleanor Amity Kirkland personifies the mixed European/African/Native, but mostly European/African as the native tribes have their own personification/s. Her names mean 'the other Aenor' and 'friendship'. She later changed her surname to Flowers after gaining independence. She was 'born' in 1638.

Taiwan: Not a British colony, of course, but in this she goes by Wang Mei Cheng, which is the name I decided to give her. She still lived with Yao up till now, which is why she goes by the Mandarin pronunciation. After her relationship sours with him and Taiwan became the ROC, etcetera, she began going by the Hokkien pronunciation of her name, Bi Seng ('beautiful' and 'honest'), and gave herself the surname Lim ('forest'). Back when she was a Dutch colony her name was Klara de Vries. She was 'born' in 1617.

Guyana: Once known as British Guina. Came into being about a year before Taiwan, and was also a Dutch colony for a while, since the indigenous tribes have their own personifications. He came into being with the founding of the Dutch colony of Essequibo. The Dutch ceded Guyana to the British in 1814, meaning he was almost 200 years old when Arthur took him, therefore he let him keep his Dutch name. Cornelius means 'horn'. After becoming independent he changed his surname from de Vries to Johnson ('son of John').

Bermuda: Came into being in around 1609. Like the Falkland Islands he kept his name and surname. Chauncey Keegan means '?' and 'descendant of Aodh'.

Cyprus: Came into being in 1563, not long before the Ottoman Empire invaded. His name Kostas means 'steadfast'.

Mauritius: Basically the same story as Seychelles, but she was 'born' in 1507. Her name Josephine Maud means 'he will add' and 'strength in battle'. Later changed her surname to Leroy, meaning 'chief'.

Iceland: born around 1443. His name means 'rival'. He still goes by the surname Bondevik at this point, but later changes it to Steilsson. Technically the defence of Iceland was handed over to America, but I can't really see Alfred as being the best person to take care of a kid like Emil.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:  
> Wèile tā mā de yuángù: for fuck's sake, Mandarin  
> Yē khuba āpanāra jan'ya yāẏa: that goes for you too, Bengali  
> As gaeilge: 'in Gaelic', as in the Irish language. (One of the few phrases of Gaelic I actually know lol)  
> Sinne Fianna Fáil, atá faoi gheall ag Éirinn... Buíon dár slua thar toinn do ráinig chugainn... S an bíobha i raon na bpiléar agaibh... Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann...: Lyrics of The Soldier's Song, Gaelic  
> Páistí: kids, Gaelic
> 
> Other Notes:  
> Fingal  
> My headcanon name for Scotland; Fingal Aodh Dunbar  
> 'Pakstan'  
> no, not a typo; whilst the name 'Pakistan' means 'land of the pure' in Urdu and Persian, the name was first coined in 1933 by a Pakistan Movement activist called Choudhry Rahmat Ali as 'Pakstan'. The i was incorporated to ease pronunciation later on. PAKSTAN originally served as an acronym for the five northern regions of the British Raj: Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh and Baluchistan.  
> The Soldier's Song  
> The Irish national anthem.  
> Gibb's Dentifrice  
> For some reason I actually felt the need to look up whether toothpaste was commonly used in the 1940s. Like... I'm sure none of you would have cared if I'd have got that fact wrong. But here we are. Gibb's Dentifrice was a solid pink 'cake', coming in a tin that came in red, blue or green (same contents), that you rubbed a wet toothbrush on to get a foam before cleaning your teeth. A whole family would use the same tin, but in this case it's just whoever's using the room.  
> Taffy  
> A nickname for the name Dafydd, which is my headcanon name for Wales; Dafydd Culhwch Rees  
> Ages  
> You can really fudge around when it comes to how quickly a nation ages, but I personally think it generally takes at least a century to reach adulthood, usually more. I also think the older nations generally aged a lot more slowly than these younguns (as in, for example, at Hong Kong's age Arthur was still physically about four or five). Generally it depends on how quickly the country develops, etc. For example, Iceland was 'born' around 1440, making him older than, for instance, America, but since America gained independence and developed much faster, Alfred's physically older.  
> Lillibet and Peggy  
> Referring to Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, who were allowed to go out onto the streets incongnito on VE Day.  
> Tadgh  
> For those who are wondering, it's pronounced 'Tyge'. It means 'poet', whilst his middle name Berach means 'sharp'.  
> Pandara  
> Headcanon name for Sri Lanka.


End file.
